Starlight
by SasukeUchiha0302
Summary: What if Sakura pretended to kill Karin? And what if Sasuke's vision and revenge are now depending on Sakura? SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1  Surprise!

**AN – **_This is my first fic and I hope you guys will enjoy it because it continues the story just like I imagined it right from Shippuuden episode 214._

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**Chapter 1 - Surprise!**

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"_Would you mind if I killed you?_

_Would you mind if I tried to?  
>Cause you have turned into my worst enemy<br>You carry hate that I don't__ feel_

_It's over now,  
>What have you done?"<em>

- _**What have you done?**_ by **Within Temptation**

"Kill Karin," came Sasuke's answer "then I'll know if you are ready. If you are ready to destroy The Leaf Village with me."

His voice was full of such a strong hatred that made Sakura wonder where it came from, why such hatred towards Konoha so suddenly? What really happened with Sasuke?

Then Sakura's eyes turned towards the girl on the ground at Sasuke's feet. She didn't know her, realized the medic. The girl had red hair which Sakura rarely saw before and she was wearing glasses, and she had to kill her. She had to kill an innocent person that was already injured just for her plan, just for Nauto to release him from such a big burden - Uchiha. Sakura hadn't thought of this, she never believed there would be collateral damage just to have a chance to attack Sasuke from behind. She took out her kunai from her cloak and took a few steps towards the girl laying at the boy's feet.

"Who is she?" whispered Sakura avoiding the victim's eyes and wishing not to feel pity for her right now. She knew she would hate herself for this.

"A member of Taka, a team I made." said Sasuke walking away from the person that was on the ground.

Sakura flinched. The girl - Sasuke called her Karin earlier, right? - was some sort of teammate for him and he wanted Sakura to kill her…Why? Just to prove him something? The old Sasuke would have never asked her something like this.

"As you can see she's useless," continued the Uchiha boy. "Sakura, you're a medical ninja right? You can replace her. This will work perfectly."

Sasuke was out of her eyesight and Sakura realized that he was talking from behind her. A perfect position if he wanted to attack her.

The pink-haired girl barely nodded kneeling near Karin and aiming the kunai close to the girl's heart. She knew that with such a precise hit near the heart without affecting any organ the victim would survive, but the kunai initially prepared for Sasuke had poison on it, and the poison would reduce Karin's chances of survival to zero.

"Well, Sakura, can you do it?" asked Sasuke eagerly.

"_And what if I don't do it?"_ Sakura asked herself. Then Sasuke would attack her from behind. Now she thought he was capable of everything after what he asked her to do.

And what if she killed Karin? Then she would feel awful.

Suddenly Sakura realized something, in her cloak's pocket she had a syringe with the antidote for the poison from the kunai. She smiled remembering what Sasuke told her a few seconds ago - this will work perfectly.

Aiming her kunai towards an unlethal zone near Karin's heart, Sakura took out with her left hand the syringe while her right hand was lowering towards the zone near Karin's heart, the needle was going through her cloak and also through Karin's clothes lodging in her arm and the kunai entered her ribcage without Sasuke noticing anything. This way she administered her the antidote saving both of them.

Karin groaned in pain her eyes widening terrified before she closed them.

Sakura ignoring her instinct to help her stood up looking at Sasuke. She noticed frowning that he had Chidori in his hand preparing for what? To attack her? The pink-haired girl sighed. He didn't trust her.

"For a second I thought you would back down," spoke the Uchiha, a big smile which sent shivers down Sakura's back appearing on his face. Chidori was gone. "Welcome to the team, Sakura. As you can see," he said pointing towards Karin, "on the future I intend that those who decide to abandon the team won't live to see another day. Same goes for the weak ones."

Sakura gulped. It was a threat.

**- X X X X X X -**

Sasuke ignored the expression on Sakura's face. He analyzed her cloak. Just as she took out that kunai she could as well take out other weapons. Sasuke had no idea how armed Sakura was.

"Take it off!" he ordered.

Sakura frowned but still threw the cloak to her feet. Sasuke noticed somehow annoyed, somehow relieved that she had no other weapons on her, at least none visible.

He got angry because Sakura believed that she could kill Karin with a simple kunai. But he was relieved that she would not try any kind of stupid thing to give him a reason to attack her. Anyway Sakura had no chance against him.

He disappeard and reappeard behind her. He saw her flinch and smiled just for himself.

"Run!"

Not understanding what he was saying Sakura looked at him over her shoulder.

"What?" she said.

Getting bored before even starting to explain he grabbed her arm pulling her after him as he jumped on the bridge's edge. He let her go pointing his head towards North.

"You first."

And he remained silent. He noticed them when she looked down towards the water. There were dozens and had the same yellow cloaks almost like Sakura's but unlike her they were wearing masks. And some of them appeared behind her.

"_ANBU,"_ thought Sasuke.

**To be continued**


	2. Chapter 2  On the edge

**Chapter 2 - On the edge**

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><p><em>"'Cause I see danger, danger, danger in your eyes<em>  
><em>'Cause danger, danger, danger, you disguise<em>  
><em>So baby lift your head up to the light<em>  
><em>There's danger in those eyes<em>  
><em>There's danger in your eyes."<em>

-**_ Danger_ **by** Hilary Duff**

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><p>The forest seemed endless. The trees were extending their branches towards the sky as if they hoped the ninja wouldn't get out of there. Other branches appeared in his face making him avoid them. Kakashi felt his impatience grow with each jump, pushing him to go even faster than this. He knew he slowed down ever since he entered the forest thinking it was a shortcut, and time was passing way too fast.<p>

What the hell was Sakura thinking? Her plan was useless. Kiba, Lee, Sai and her - four ninjas, and on top a medical one - couldn't handle Sasuke on their own. No way! And what bothered Kakashi even more was their plan on how to kill the boy. The Uchiha would see right through all of their attacks with his Sharingan. Kakashi was terrified when he thought that this act to combat evil could turn into suicide… for the four of them.

Jumping again over a branch that seemed like it was trying to grab and hold him prisoner there - anyway earlier it had stolen his cloak - Kakashi decided for the thousandth time to hurry.

Today… it seemed like the entire nature was against him. The whole nature was trying to slow him down giving the advantage of time to Sasuke.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>Sai let him know. Sai told him about Sakura's plan, about the fact that she was crazy or she really wanted to kill herself, because fighting against Sasuke is pure suicide. And what if he couldn't do anything? What if he, Naruto, was too late?<p>

Although he left last night from the inn, fooling Yamato – he will apologize later, he thought – he felt he was he wouldn't be on time. And time was suddenly very precious. He needed time. He needed that second in which Sasuke would try to kill her – without a doubt it will happen. Naruto knew how strong and merciless Sasuke became. If he came before that he could still do something. If he came after… everything would be over. Naruto clenched his teeth going even faster.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>"Sasuke!" screamed Sakura when the cloaked figures began climbing towards them. But the boy already imprinted their backs watching the ninjas that were already on the bridge. There were lots of them, an entire army. They were perfectly alike, and at first you would have thought they were clones. But Sakura knew that the grin on Sasuke's face meant that these were real people, even ninjas. And if you looked through the darkness formed on their faces by the yellow hoods of the cloaks, you would notice that instead of the normal feautures of a person, they had white masks.<p>

"_ANBU,"_ thought Sakura shocked.

They were indeed those elite ninjas from Konoha. And from whatever reason they were after Sasuke. And now they saw her near him as if waiting for their attack, maybe they even saw her talking with him and maybe… they saw her killing Karin at his command.

Sakura froze. She definitely didn't plan this or at least she didn't plan that things would go from bad to worse.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>Sasuke raised an eyebrow.<p>

"It took you a while to get here, don't you think?"

You could feel in his voice a little amusement and true anger. He expected that the news of him killing Danzou would get fast to his guard's ears, but what bothered him was their big number. He thought there would be around ten elite ninjas sent but definitely not as many as there were now around him.

"_This will be a true massacre,"_ thought Sasuke.

He knew he consumed a big part of his chakra in the fight that took place earlier, so he was planning to end everything with a few tehniques. The sooner the better.

He noticed an ANBU member pointing his head behind Sasuke towards Sakura, asking: "Is she with him?"

Another one nodded slowly, and Sasuke knew it was an answer, maybe more than an answer.

Sasuke realized what those four words meant, Sakura immediately tensing behind him.

"Yes, she's with me!" declared the Uchiha too for two reasons: first of all he had to make sure that if he escaped alone the pink-haired girl won't be received back in Konoha with praises, and that only because of the fact that if she thought she could fool him she was wrong, he still had doubts about her, and secondly he wanted her in this fight, he wanted her on his side, he knew she was capable of some interesting things – somehow she made him curious – and once she was seen as a fugitive ANBU would attack her too, this way Sakura would lose every chance of turning her back on Sasuke in the fight. The Uchiha wanted to be sure of those who were with him and those who were against him. And Sakura wanted to play this card, and once the game started she wouldn't be able to get out of it. Sasuke didn't joke at all when he threatened her before:

"_On the future I intend that those who decide to abandon the team won't live to see another day. Same goes for the weak ones."_

It was time for her to prove him how strong she became and what were her boundaries. When the bombs tied from the kunais went towards them, Sasuke suddenly jumped in the air, in the same time activating his Sharingan.

The kunais continued their way, and were dangerously close to Sakura's back, but she was frozen because… from now on to everyone, she was a traitor.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>When the light at the end of the forest came in Kakashi's view, he made an effort to run even faster feeling his feet on fire at the same time, hoping that he could get there in time to stop everything.<p>

He was getting closer…

"Kiba, Lee, Sai…"

He found them all in the middle of the forest, on the ground, under a tree, barely breathing. When he found them, at first he felt relieved but realized in the same second something was missing.

He walked towards them, the nearest one being Kiba and he slapped him trying to wake him up. The boy groaned before opening his eyes.

"Where's Sakura?" asked Kakashi, his patience reaching a limit.

Sakura was missing and terrifying thoughts appeared in the sensei's mind.

Kiba blinked three more times before really oppening his eyes and noticing Kakashi near him.

"Hm?"

"Where's Sakura?" the sensei nearly yelled.

"She went… went after him." barely muttered Kiba.

"Where?"

"North… a few miles."

Then he remained silent, his eyelids falling on his eyes again before falling in a deep sleep like the other two. Definately Sakura tricked them into drinking some potion learnt from Tsunade to keep them out of her way for a long time. He left them there happy that these three were safe and in the same time angry that the most stubborn medical ninja was smart enough to play them all, even Kakashi, and maybe even Naruto. Angry because she went after him, and that he already lost a lot of time.

The chances of Sakura being found alive were smaller and smaller with every single second that passed.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>In the first second she felt pain, then how she was falling down. In the next second she smelled smoke. In the third second she heard the explosion. But Sakura was falling from the bridge and she didn't care about anything else than how to land with all these ANBU waiting for her to fall in their hands.<p>

She decided to try to land standing on the water.

But in the next second she felt her blood run cold because she saw it.

Her body rotated only a few degrees in the air to try and land better, but then something appeared like a purple light and when she turned her head to see what it was she was really terrified. It was a giant monster in the same place she stood before. She noticed his yellow eyes, strong armor, his sword, shield and his hands which were more than tow. Everything in him burned and glowed at the same time. But down, where his legs should be was Sasuke, and Sakura felt that this monster was coming from him, that he was the one controlling it.

Sakura's first thought was: "_Disappear!"_

And she did just that using the jutsu.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>Sasuke's grin widening. He felt like every cell in his body was sharing Susanoo's power, he being more powerful than ever. He saw all these Anbu freeze for a few seconds watching the creature above him - something which rarely happened to an elite ninja - he saw Sakura disappear from his vision after he pushed her away from the kunais which ended up lodging in two of the ANBU and… they exploded scattering blood. Blood, thought Sasuke, which will be spilled again in the moment of the destruction of the Hidden Leaf Village, blood that will wash away everything Konoha did against the Uchiha Clan. He felt again the satisfaction that his revenge was starting to be acomplished.<p>

He clenched his fists and attacked.

Susanoo's sword swirled once in the air before cutting horizontally. Any ninja on a few meters radius literally burned under the purple flames created by the creature. With the same move he sent other flames towards all those ninjas on the water. Huge tides rose at the surface swallowing them all together with the fire. Sasuke was right, it was a true massacre.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>Naruto landed slowly on the ground near Kiba, Lee and Sai.<p>

"Hey, you three! Are you asleep?" asked the boy astonished.

No one blinked. Naruto continued yelling annoyed.

"Hello! I'm talking to you three! Wake up!"

He went near Kiba, shook him a few times, and when he didn't receive any signs of life from the guy, he started slapping him.

"Who the hell…" started Kiba but stopped when he noticed Naruto. "Did you find Sakura?"

Naruto seemed irritated. His tiredness beginning to show.

"Wasn't she supposed to be with you, you idiots?"

Kiba frowned. Suddenly he was very serious. Naruto felt the need to punch him.

"Kakashi was… here… I think…. He asked about her. Weren't you with him?"

Naruto shrugged. This was starting to get boring.

"Good morning everyone!"

Naruto and Kiba turned their heads at the same time towards the place where the voice came from.

"Lee…" sighed Naruto.

"I don't really think it's morning," spoke someone else, this time Sai looking around puzzled. "Where are we?" continued the boy.

Naruto seeing him awake walked up to him, and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground. He felt that his patience reached the limit.

"Slow down, dude…" tried Kiba to calm him, "Sakura went after Sasuke. The plan was for us to go with her… but … she chose to go alone."

He shrugged, unhappy at something only he knew.

If Naruto was to ever be compared to a bull ready to destroy everything in his way, now would be the perfect moment.

"You mean Sakura went after Sasuke… ALONE?"

Kiba smiled backing down.

"Well, we…"

"Where did she go exactly?"

"We located the Uchiha for the first time a few kilometers towards North." intervened Sai the moment Naruto put him back on the ground.

"Exactly… that's what I told Kakashi too," spoke Kiba, defending himself.

"Kakashi went after her?"

Kiba shrugged again.

"And why are we still here? Let's go…"

"No, Lee," spoke Naruto cutting him off. "I'll go alone."

Sai was about to protest but something in the boy's eyes stopped him.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>He hadn't killed all of the ANBU members. He saw how other yellow silhouettes appeared again and again from the ground but he couldn't really make them out… because they were shaking. It took Sasuke some time to realize Susanoo was gone. He felt weak, without much chakra.<p>

His hands imediately went to his eyes understanding why. This thing… His vision… He couldn't see clear anymore.

"_What? No! Not again! Not now!"_ was Sasuke screaming inside him.

He forced himself to stay upright. In the same time as the figures were shuffling around him he felt the ground couldn't hold him anymore. He couldn't remain on his feet.

He heard a rustle like something was cutting through the air, reminding him of Susanoo's sword. It took him a second to realize it was coming towards him. In the same moment he heard someone behind him. Then a groan.

He expected to be thrown on the ground by an elite ninja, but nothing happened and in a few moments the same groan reached his ears for the second time. But now the images weren't shaking anymore. He could see clear again now.

He gave a snort when he saw how many ANBU members were left standing. He could count them on his fingers – one, two… six, seven, eight. Very few. And Sakura, realized Sasuke looking quickly was behind him taking down another one. Wishing to end this as soon as possible and to get out of here, he activated Chidori Sharp Spear and with a few perfect shots the remaining ones were down.

"So…" came the familiar voice behind him.

"_Madara,"_ thought Sasuke suddenly very tired.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>Sakura froze. The first thought that crossed her mind when she saw the figure appear in front of her was <em>"Akatsuki"<em> because of the black cloak with red clouds. The second thought when she saw his face covered by a weird orange mask which only let the owner see with one eye, was _"Who the hell is this?"_.

But her senses were telling her this wasn't the time for jokes, it was the time to get out of there. She didn't understand why she returned to defend Sasuke, but even she knew that after a tehnique like the one the Uchiha boy used, he must be drained of chakra and very tired. She felt blood coming from the two wounds made by the sword hits initially intended for Sasuke. Ignoring the pain she tried to turn her attention towards the man who just arrived.

Sasuke, which was already facing him, spoke:

"Why are you here?"

"I heard you were in trouble," came the same voice from before, a voice that sent shivers down Sakura's back. The guy looked around, then nodded just for himself… content?

"Anyway, Sasuke, it's time to go. We might have other visitors really soon. And I don't want to deal with them."

"_Who is he talking about?"_ thought Sakura.

Like she spoke aloud, and the Akatsuki member heard her, he turned his eyes to her.

"Sakura Haruno," he spoke slowly - making the medic's blood run cold - and then continued looking at Sasuke again. "What's she doing here? Don't tell me you're up for a reunion?"

He knew her? Well that was impossible. She had no ideea who he was especially with that mask on. The girl felt Sasuke near her.

"No, she'll be replacing Karin from now on."

"And what did Karin say about this? I wouldn't think she took it too easily."

"Karin is dead." said Sasuke dryly. "Sakura killed her."

The medical ninja could swear that in the moment in which the Akatsuki turned to look at her again he seemed a little surprised, although she couldn't really tell because of that mask.

Then as if waking up from a dream he moved his eyes towards Sasuke again shaking his head.

"I don't think so. I mean it's not a good idea to have an ex-teammate near you now, especially from Konoha. I wouldn't ever let her in on our plans."

Sakura realized that by the end of the sentence his voice was very hard.

"If you're afraid that she is a spy or something like that, don't worry. Everyone else" - he pointed towards the motionless bodies of the ANBU lying on the ground – "thinks she's a traitor. They attacked her."

Sakura didn't understand why Sasuke kept insisting. She would be really glad to be able to go back home - well if she would still be welcomed there. Anyway her plan was long gone.

The Akatsuki guy shook his head again.

"No, Sasuke, I told you no. Finish faster what you have to finish and come." he said turning his back towards them, walking away.

Sakura looked after him before moving her eyes on Sasuke. For the first time she noticed the blood flowing down his cheek from his eye and that he was really exausted.

"Finish what?" asked the medic without thinking.

Instead of answering Sasuke grinned. A memory came to Sakura's mind.

"_On the future I intend that those who decide to abandon the team won't live to see another day. Same goes for the weak ones."_ he said earlier, but still it seemed a year ago.

And then she saw him fall on his knees. Sakura jumped out of instinct to help him but another pair of arms appeared and lifted the Uchiha boy.

"Thank God that you are still alive right now," spoke the Akatsuki member getting farther away again but this time helping Sasuke too. "Go home and pray that you won't meet us ever again, not even in our after lives."

"No way," said the medic ninja too, making the guy stop and look at her. In the next second something black appeared behind him. "I am a medic ninja, I can heal Sasuke." continued the girl.

"I can do that too. I told you to go."

In the second part of the sentence his voice became threatenening.

"Yes, you can do it." Sakura really didn't want to give up and she had no idea what came over her. Once she started the game, she couldn't quit. "But not as fast as I can," she carried on. "And in these cases time matters."

Her voice sounded like a whisper but still the guy heard her.

"I told you no! Leave on your own until I change my mind and send you home dead."

The pink-haired girl was a little relieved, but mostly terrified. At least he told her what he wanted to do.

"And what do you have to lose if I come?" she tried again when they both turned their backs on her. "At least you know what you have to lose if I don't come - Sasuke's life."

She said it, she couldn't believe she said it.

The Akatsuki member sighed.

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><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

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><p>Chaos or maybe the apocalipse. Kakashi couldn't decide what word would describe better the massacre he was seeing. Dozens of dead bodies everywhere. Some were full of blood, some were burned. He sighed thinking of the person who did this - not hard to guess - and his power.<p>

He checked all the bodies hoping to find it, only not dead, the person he was looking for until now. Instead he got a red-haired girl that was wearing glasses which aside from everything else Kakashi had seen in his entire life had a kunai in her heart and was still breathing. This must be Sakura's magic, he was still trying to convince himself.

"I hope you were lucky," said the sensei.

Naruto stepped in front of him through the dead bodies, shaking his head.

"No, I didn't find anything."

It was clear now. They were too late.

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><p><strong>To be continued<strong>

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><p><strong>AN **- _This is the second chapter. I was worked on it an entire day. That's why I hope you guys like it as much as I like it. Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3 Pain

**A/N **- _"Hey, everybody! Just know that I'm back with lots of great ideas, I hope, (I began to write a new fic with spies, but that doesn't matter here). I hope with all of my heart that you will like this new chapter at least as much as I like it. Anyway, you know what's the funny part? I feel so good when I'm writing from Sakura's point of view, but I feel absolutely awful when I'm writing from Naruto's point of view, and that's why I'm afraid that part of the fic isn't going to exceed your expectations. Anyway, I'm sorry if there are any grammar mistakes and... let's get started :D By the way, don't forget to **review**!"_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 - Pain<strong>

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><p><em>"I left her with a warning… without protection<em>  
><em>'Cause the human nature has it's ways with lust<em>  
><em>With her back against the wall she crumbled<em>  
><em>Just a minute more would have saved her life<em>  
><em>And even so… part of me<em>  
><em>Blessed sunlight."<em>

- **_This pain_** by** Kamelot**

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><p>She held her breath when she stepped through the Portal - that's what the guy from Akatsuki called the black thing that appeared behind her. Everything she remembered was that now she was there between the bodies of the ANBU members - which produced her nausea and guilt just by looking at them -, and in the next second she was here, behind these two, wondering what this place really was.<p>

Sakura would bet on a cave or another Orochimaru like hideout. Darkness surrounded them from every angle being interrupted sometimes by a torch stuck in the walls deforming their shadows and making Sakura believe they were from another world, they were that frightening.

But there was enough light to know if she was getting too far or too close from the people in front of her. She didn't even want to imagine the reaction of the guy in the cloak if she would bump into him, or even Sasuke's reaction, considering the state he was in. Sakura assumed there wasn't a single cell in his body that didn't scream in pain. He was exausted. She wondered how much could his own feet sustain him.

Or how much would her own feet hold on.

From her shoulder and hip, the places which had taken the hits meant for the Uchiha boy, blood was still dripping sending Sakura pain with each step she took. But she was trying to ignore them as much as possible, resisting the temptation to consume even her last ounce of chakra on something as harmless.

She saw that Sasuke needed her more. Even though he didn't deserve it. Stupid, idiot, asshole and whatever - she was running out of insults right now - was stupid, idiot, asshole and whatever.

Her heart had frozen in her chest when she heard he wants to destroy Konoha, froze even more when he made her kill Karin, more than froze when she saw that ANBU army catch her on the wrong foot - and on the wrong side -, froze even more when she saw the purple monster he was controlling, froze even more when the Akatsuki member appeared in front of her, and completely froze now when she saw what the hell she got herself into.

She was trying to find an answer for what she did earlier when she had gone as far as pleading the enemy to go with him, while the enemy was almost pleading her to go home.

She knew she would be recieved back in Konoha. On her side were Naruto, Kakashi, Kiba, Lee and Sai - among others - and the proof that she had faked killing Karin hoping that she would get the opportunity to attack Sasuke from behind.

And she had it!

She had the chance to get the hell out of there - even twice if you count disappearing with a teleportation jutsu.

And... why the hell did she come back? She came back to jump in front of those swords that would have taken down the Uchiha. And why didn't she leave when the man in the cloak started to threaten her to get the hell out of there?

She didn't know, that was all she could say.

She tried to focus on something else, wanting to stay calm and rational. And the first thing that caught her attention - to her irritation, in the same time - was Sasuke dragging his feet on the stone floor. She figured out it was rhythmic and without wanting she matched his footsteps with his.

Then followed the boy's breathing. She could barely sense it, she knew it had to be sluggish.

And again his footsteps.

_One, two, three... One, two, three... The first one, the second one, the third one... The first one, the second one, the third one..._

Suddenly, puff!

Sakura frightened stepped back, rubbing her forehead and mumbling some sort of excuses.

Sasuke looked at her over his shoulder about to say something - not good, would think the pink-haired girl - but a slammed door stopped him, then he and the Akatsuki guy disappeared in a room, Sakura stayed in the doorstep still shocked feeling her heart beating so fast you would think it would jump out of her chest.

They had stopped, she watching his steps without realising and slammed in his back. She had bumped into Sasuke.

Thank Goodness not in the other man!

"You know our deal, Haruno," spoke for the first time they were in this cave the Akatsuki guy, his voice, followed by a few echoes, sounding weird.

Sakura quickly raised her eyes from the floor to look at him. He had left the Uchiha sitting on a bed, and was now going towards her ready to leave the room.

The green-eyed girl quickly stepped aside making him room to walk out of the door, as if fearing that one touch of his cloak could burn her. She would be surprised if it didn't.

She watched him disappear out the hallway without bothering to add something or look at her, then looked at Sasuke, who had set his eyes on anything exept her.

Pause…

_One, two, three… One, two, three… One, two, three… One, two, three…_

When she reached the fourteenth trio of _One, two, three…_, now counting her heartbeats, she felt she was about to go on fire. To explode.

She was already feeling a vague trinkle in her ears. In the next second quiet. Trinkle, quiet, trinkle, quiet.

She hated quiet, it ate her patience. It also ate at her patience that she was standing in the threshold staring at Sasuke, waiting for him to do the same. To say something at least.

But Sasuke was still ignoring her, as if she wasn't there, as if she didn't exist.

Finally her eyes were burning from so much non-blinking and staring, so she looked around the room hoping to calm down.

In all of the corners, stuck in the walls, were torches. The dance of the flames made them and, of course, their shadows dance on the wall.

It looked like a stange game like they were continuously chasing each other without really catching themselves. And she liked watching. It really calmed her down.

Aside from that, she noticed, the room was almost empty exept a bed and a closet on the other side.

She sighed.

Her legs had started to go numb, and if she was going to remain there, she wouldn't be surprised if she would collapse the next second.

"Ok, let's get this over with," said Sakura suddenly without being able to stop.

Sasuke's head jerked towards her, as if he'd only then realized she was still there. As if he was surprised she was still there.

Sakura hardly removed herself from the door, closing it behind her.

She could hear her feet dragging on the floor, her quick heartbeats, but not her breathing.

Because she couldn't breathe.

She felt her lungs as if they were made of stone, unable to take even small breaths. And that was only because she was coming near Sasuke, just because she was practically getting herself in the lion's dent.

She felt her fingers tingling, as she called healing chakra in her palms, her green light mingling with that of the torches, the shadows on the walls growing.

She felt Sasuke tense - or maybe that was really her - with each step she made.

Then she only felt his ignorance.

She was near his bed now, bending a little so Sasuke's eyes would be on the same level as hers.

She bit her lip, cursing the day, hour, minute and second in which she had chosen to come here, before saying:

"So… what's hurting you? Because, you see, you are not the only one in pain in this room," she mumbled without realizing.

And she bit her lip again trying to stop the next avalanche of words that were about to tell the Uchiha boy how stupid he had became, how stupid he always was, how…

Yeah, she definitely needed to improve her arsenal of insults.

I mean, you can't go in front of an Uchiha with this small vocabulary of insults, considering you could wake up in the next second thrown in a wall… and with your head hit… and with a broken limb… and…

"What do you think you're doing?" spoke Sasuke from the first time since they were here, pulling his hand away from Sakura's finger, which, harmlessly tried to heal a small scratch, her eyes had fallen on earlier.

He disappeared from the bed, reappearing in the opposite corner of the room in a few blinks.

"_A _small_ scratch, Sakura? You don't have enough chakra to even heal yourself, and you are using it on a _small_ scratch?"_ her inner-self yelled.

Sakura, sighing, turned facing the Uchiha. She had stopped her chakra flow trying not to finish it before even getting started.

"_And I thought you were suffering,"_ she said just for herself.

Sasuke was looking at her - _"Finally,"_ said Sakura, suddenly bored. You have to mention that he was looking at her like she was a parasite, he was about to kill for invading his personal space.

The green-eyed girl feared the killing part.

"Sasuke, just so you know I'm not feeling too well either. Are you going to cooperate, or can I get the hell out of here?"

Sasuke just narrowed his eyes before snorting. And before grinning.

"Salura, Sakura…." he said in a disaproving kind of way. "I think you didn't understand the getting out of here part…"

He stopped in the middle of the sentence disappearing again. The girl froze.

"…which will never happen, I promised you," came his voice… from behind her.

Without wanting, Sakura had two flashbacks one after the other in the next second.

The first…

"_On the future I intend that those who decide to abandon the team won't live to see another day."_

And the second...

"_Sakura... thank you..."_

She felt her heart tighten at the first one, but at the second one... she felt the lump in her throat - her tears barrier - come crumbling down.

"_Not NOW!" _she yelled in her mind forcing herself to stand straight. _"__Not... now..."_

But she already felt tears running down her cheecks.

" _Same goes for the weak ones."_

She automaticaly wiped them, hoping that a sob won't pass her lips, or that Sasuke won't see her face.

Too late.

Too late when she saw Sasuke's feet moving towards her. Too late when Sasuke grabbed her by her collar raising her so his eyes void of any human feeling exept hate and maybe - Sakura wasn't sure - rage, met her eyes still wet because of the tears. Too late when she felt herself being thrown to the other side of the room with an incredible strenght.

Her head pounded, her limbs ached. Every cell in her body vibrated when she hit the wall. After that she slid on the floor.

You could hear a few steps and a slammed door.

She was conciouss, she had stayed conciouss all this time. She just couldn't move...

* * *

><p><strong>- X X X X X X -<strong>

* * *

><p>The sun was near the horizon line trying to send as many rays as he could before drowning beneath it. The forest looked like it was on fire at the same time. The orange, red and violet stripes thrown by the sun gave the impression of a true hell on earth.<p>

But Naruto wasn't interested in the hell outside, more like the hell inside him.

"Sakura..." he sighed.

"Hn?" came Kakashi's voice.

Naruto took his eyes away from a tree whose branches were practically on fire. He saw his sensei looking at him, and he just shrugghed.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" yelled Kiba looking over his shoulder.

After they had left the bridge and got back to the other boys carrying the red-headed girl with them too, Naruto felt that with every step he took getting farther away from the place where they supposed Sakura was last at, his nerves were getting weaker, his self-control was getting weaker.

He was angry, that much could tell anyone. He was about to explode. He wanted to do something for his teammates, his impossibility was burning him from inside to outside. He had alrealy lost one, he couldn't lose the other one.

"Why Sakura?" mumbled the boy.

"You'll ask me why I punched you when I will," threatened Kiba anxiously.

Akamaru backing him up yelled, wiggling his tail.

"Come on, Naruto!" intervened Sai too. "Do you want to spend the night here?"

The blonde completely ignored them, looking instead at Kakashi who was waiting for him to decide. The red-haired girl was resting on the sensei's shoulder.

"Sensei, we can't go back."

Kakashi sighed.

"Naruto, Sai and the others are right. We can't stay here either."

"But, sensei, we can't go without Sakura! We can't keep loosing people."

'_People that we care about,'_ he wanted to say.

"Narutooo..."

"Shut up, Kiba, or I'll punch you!" Then calmer towards Kakashi: "Sensei, we let Sasuke go. I couldn't stand loosing Sakura too," he insisted.

Kakashi sighed for the thousandth time, but when he wanted to continue, something stopped him.

Naruto saw his eyes leading somewhere over his shoulder and focusing on something...

The blonde turned a hundred and eighty degrees on his heels tu bump into... a guy.

He was alone, his yellow cloak full of black stains - Naruto thought that was where the fire burned him - was waving in the wind.

Under his hood he had a mask. And it had weird marks where his chin was supposed to be.

"Eh, what brings you here?" his tone was supposed to be funny, realized Naruto. But even behind Kakashi's humour you could see true concern.

"_It's not good..." _thought Naruto, paying attention to what the ANBU member began to talk.

"We were attacked," he started.

"_And raised in a jungle, if that's how you think you start a conversation," _thought the blonde.

"I noticed that too. We were there earlier. We didn't know there was a survivor. Well, aside from the obvious one," spoke Kakashi pointing to the girl on his shoulder. "It looks like Uchiha crossed the line, in the end, huh?"

"We were attacked by your student too," the man yelled.

They all froze, surprised - okay, maybe shocked too.

Kiba, Lee and Sai turned to the newcomer, now not believing what he was saying - but Lee's mouth was widely open.

"In your dreams! You're talking non-sense!" spoke Naruto, recovering from his shock, completely annoyed now. Who did this guy think he was? He didn't know a thing about the pink-haired girl. "Sakura sacrificed for us. She went there decided to kill Sasuke, no one of you lying bastards who blame eachother with no proof!"

The ANBU member automaticaly looked towards the boy as if he had just seen him, somehow surprised that one of them dared to open their mouths. Kakashi stepped in front of Naruto, almost smiling. Almost. Still he signaled the boy to shut up.

"Let me understand something first. How did you survive after Uchiha's massacre? I didn't think he would allow witnesses at what happened. What happened there really?"

"Uchiha killed Danzou."

Naruto saw Kakashi almost flinching.

The ANBU member continued as if he hadn't noticed a thing.

"As soon as we got that report we were sent to at least recover the body, if the assasin had disappeared. Our surprise was to find Haruno there killing a girl. We decided as soon as we discovered that Danzou's body was nowhere that the moment these two were leaving was the perfect time for an attack. Haruno defended the boy from our hits when he was exausted. She fought against us."  
>"You're lying!" yelled Naruto suddenly.<p>

But was he really lying?

Sakura's first love was Sasuke, started the boy to meditate. That was known or could be guessed by anybody. Although she told his recently that she loved him, Naruto, he didn't believe her. He didn't think it was possible. A love like the one Sakura carried for Sasuke couldn't be erased so easily. He knew that, that love was still burning inside her. And, Sakura's ambition to see Sasuke safe, and if possible back in the village was as big as his ambition to become hokage. The ANBU member didn't lie when he said that Sakura defended the Uchiha when he couldn't fight anymore.

And he, Naruto, would have done the same.

The newcomer and even Kakashi ignored him again.

"I think you're wrong," spoke the sensei suddenly animated.

"What?"

"You said you found Sakura killing a girl, right? I assume you're talking about her."

Kakashi left the red-haired on the ground so the guy could see her better. Although she had her eyes close you could easily see her chest going up and down. It meant she was alive.

Naruto could swear the guy in the cloak was frowning under the mask right in the moment he was analizing her.

Then he shortly nodded, only saying:

"Yeah, that's her."

"And she's alive. And, in the same time, it makes me wonder how you survived yourself. Did you fight personally with Sakura?"

Another short sign.

"Then you should consider yourself lucky. She didn't kill you on purpose."

The ANBU member flinched.

"How many did you actually survive?"

"Four, and if I think about it we were all put down by her."

"Where are the others?" asked the sensei.

"They went to report as soon as Uchiha disappeared. I was told that you came too and so I decided to ask you what you know."

Naruto blinked a few times. So Sakura saved all these idiots which were now going to accuse her of murder? His face was suddenly red from his rage, like a grenade ready to explode from a moment to another.

"Aham. I told you Sakura wouldn't do something like that, you liars!"

Someone behind him, Kiba or Sai, definately not Lee, snorted.

Kakashi asked:

"Where is Sakura now?"

"She left _willingly_ with them."

Well, this time the blonde felt like someone slapped him, poured ice on his back and kicked him in the stomach.

"_Willingly_? What? Is she crazy?"

"Yeah, no wonder she wanted to do all these things alone, in the end," said Kiba with a sigh and Akamaru's bark.

"One moment," Kakashi reduced them all to silence, turning back to the guy. "What _them_? Was there someone else besides Sasuke?"

You could see a shrug coming from the ANBU member.

"The black cloak with purple clouds, orange mask. Who else but Madara Uchiha?"

Those words sounded like: _"Red and round - an apple,"_ thought Naruto.

Then he realised the real meaning of the words the ANBU member had just said, getting angry again:

"Sakura _is_ with an Akatsuki?"

"Oh, man..." mumbled Sai behind him.

"So that's it..." mumbled Kakashi as for himself, but continued as calm as always. "If you don't mind, we are already late and we need to go."

"I'm not going anywhere without Sakura!" yelled the blonde.

The ANBU member nodded then disappeard, just like he had come.

The sensei turned to the others putting the red-haired on his shoulders again, talking:

"Team, let's go!"

And they disappeared in the night. Naruto, of course (never gave up as easy and as nicely as Kakashi had done this time) was still searching for a plan to get rid of the others and go back after Sakura, but the sensei thought of everything. He was running behind the blonde near Akamaru, Kiba and Sai to the left and right, and Lee in the front. They had trapped him. He couldn't do any stupid move without the others noticing.

Naruto thought that if Sakura was just with Sasuke he wouldn't be too scared for her life, but now that she was with an Akatsuki member...

That thought burned him on the inside.

Kakashi promised that Sakura would be safe.

He didn't believe it.

* * *

><p><strong>- X X X X X X - <strong>

* * *

><p>Why the hell couldn't she move?<p>

Her limbs were numb, she could barely control her breathing. She felt as if she was made of stone. She was cold as a stone.

Fine, she admitted that she had no ounce of chakra left, or that she had wasted all her energy.

Now, aside from the pain in her shoulder and hip - recieved in Sasuke's place (she repeated that over and over, annoyed) you could add another to her back, her head and... well the rest of her body.

Everything hurt, even blinking and breathing. Even the tears running down her cheecks hurt her, she wasn't able to control them anymore. But worst hurt the thought that everything she felt now was his fault.

She wanted to scream: _"It's his fault!"_

She thought: _"It's his fault!"_

Because simply _IT WAS HIS FAULT_.

She wanted to hate him with all of her heart, she wanted that the next time she will see him to kill him without hesitating as soon as she would get the opportunity, she wanted to say to his face that he was stupid, idiot and everything else, she wanted to tell him that everything was his fault...

But could she really do it?

She didn't realise when her eyes closed falling into a deep sleep.

In this night she had the worst nightmare in a lot of years...

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN** - _"So, did you like it? I tried to make it as good as possible, trust me. And, by the way, thanks a lot to the ones who reviewed, to the ones who added the story to their favourite and those who added it to their alert list. And as many reviews as I'll get as long the next chapter will be. I promise. So, **review**, **review** and **re-REVIEW**!"_


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